Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas de las Naciones Unidas
Resumen del tema
Latin America is home to over 800 Indigenous peoples speaking 500+ languages, but their cultural survival is under immediate threat. Rapid resource extraction, illegal mining, and agribusiness constantly encroach on ancestral territories, displacing communities and endangering land defenders. This physical displacement accelerates linguistic loss, as youth are forced into cities where Spanish or Portuguese dominate. Despite regional laws protecting Indigenous sovereignty, Intercultural Bilingual Education systems remain severely underfunded. Delegates must create regional frameworks that legally secure Indigenous lands, protect marginalized communities, and deploy educational and digital resources to prevent the extinction of endangered languages.
Hello everyone! My name is Laura Cremer, and I am thrilled to serve as your Director for this committee.
I am a rising sophomore in Pforzheimer House studying Social Studies, Film, and Environmental Science and Public Policy. I come from a small town in the Basque Country, where Model UN was not something readily available to students, so discovering MUN during my freshman year at Harvard was incredibly meaningful to me. Since then, I have served as an Assistant Director for both HNMUN and HMUN in Crisis Committees, and I am also a delegate on Harvard’s Competitive Model UN Team. These experiences have filled my first year of college with unforgettable memories, and I hope to extend that same love for Model UN to all of you in a way that honors the hard work and passion you bring to the committee.
Outside of Model UN, I am involved in several organizations on campus. Much of my extracurricular involvement centers around the Institute of Politics, including programs such as the JFK Jr. Forum and GAP. I also love reading, writing, music, and filmmaking, so I try to stay connected to the arts through communities like The Harvard Independent and WHRB 93.5, Harvard’s radio station. In addition, I am deeply passionate about environmental issues and food systems, which has led me to organizations such as Harvard Undergraduate Plant Based and the Harvard Undergraduate Clean Energy Group. This summer, I will be studying in London while hopefully exploring plenty of matcha cafés and thrift stores along the way.
As we prepare for committee, I encourage you to approach this topic with curiosity and an openness to collaboration. Whether you are a seasoned delegate or participating in Model UN for the first time, I hope you will challenge yourself to think critically, speak confidently, be ambitious and engage thoughtfully with those around you. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions throughout the preparation process.
I am very much looking forward to meeting all of you and seeing the direction our committee takes.
Laura Cremer
Co-Directora, Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas de las Naciones Unidas
bilingual@harvardmun.org
Harvard Model United Nations 2027